James H. Charlesworth

100 Important Questions About the Bible . . . Answered!

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“McDonald’s mind is amazingly energetic and brimming with challenging issues. The most important dimension of this valuable book is not any one question. It is the freedom and desire to approach our sacra scriptura with an unlimited barrage of questions. Dogmatic answers kill. Lively questions stimulate a living faith.”

Eschatology, Messianism, and the Dead Sea Scrolls

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“This interesting book helps clarify why the Dead Sea Scrolls are paradigmatically important for the study of Christian origins and the New Testament.”

Galilee in the Late Second Temple and Mishnaic Periods, Volume 1

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“In some universities and seminaries, students are taught that Jesus lived in 'the Galilee of the Gentiles.' That is false; when meaningful, the term applies only to the western coast of ancient Palestine. Lower Galilee, the center of Jesus' life and ministry, was Jewish and closely connected to Judea. The stone found in the pre-70 synagogue in Migdal (home of Mary Magdalene) preserves symbols that identify the Jewish community with the Temple. The gospels are not mythological creations; they anchor Jesus with Judaism. The present book by two experts who know Galilee is highly recommended.”

Hermeneutics as a Theory of Understanding, Volume 1

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

Foreword

(wrote the foreword)

Inner Messiah, Divine Character

“Writing from north of Tel Aviv where bombs intended to destroy me explode over my head, I think about our fragile lives. I have learned life is a narrative and that no historiography is possible without imagination. Such reflections draw me to this book by Benjamin Yosef, a journalist and counselor in faraway Princeton. We need to move beyond the inherited 'malignant heart' of 4 Ezra and contemplate the imago dei found in Genesis. Yosef suggests avenues to activate our superlative self so we are pulled out of our daily destructive habits. Yosef's book is highly recommended for all who yearn to experience a divine power and character that is hidden within each of us so that we may dream beyond the ordinary.”

Introducing the Apocrypha

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

Foreword

(wrote the foreword)

Jesus and the Politics of Roman Palestine

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“With mature reflection and focus on the major sources, Richard Horsley explains why he has concluded that Jesus from Nazareth, 'the Israelite prophet in Galilee,' vilified the scribes and Pharisees. These Jewish leaders sought to serve the 'temple-state' but abused villagers. Horsley's writing is engaging and lucid, and he astutely shows how Jesus's harsh criticism is 'based on Mosaic covenantal commandments.' Highly recommended for its synthesis and perspective. Jesus was by no means apolitical. Excellent for classes.”

Lovescapes, Mapping the Geography of Love

Christian Living

“What is love and how do we distinguish it from infatuation and destructive feelings? Now, in Lovescapes, Duncan Ferguson explores the cultural and historical understandings of love, inviting readers to invest in 'the love-centered life.' Perceiving that 'love and compassion are very complex human experiences,' Ferguson . . . provides us with an extremely important book.”

Making Sense of Sex

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“After publishing eight major monographs devoted to sexuality in antiquity, William Loader has become the international expert best prepared to suggest how each of us can have a healthy sexuality that is faithful to our sacred tradition. This book encompasses areas that are both far-reaching and of great interest to many in contemporary society. Reading it will help us all know more about our vulnerability and how heart is related to genitalia. Loader helps us respect the necessary distance and proximity of the other and how to appreciate a person’s otherness and holiness. He writes with insight, skill, and passion. . . . Highly recommended for all who like to read and wish to be better informed.”

Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, vol. 1

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

Foreword

(wrote the foreword)

Qumran and Jerusalem

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“A celebrated specialist on the Dead Sea Scrolls and early Judaism, Lawrence Schiffman demonstrates that while some of the Qumran Scrolls reflect the unique thoughts of the Qumranites, others reveal the beliefs and laws of many nonsectarian Jews, including those who controlled the Jerusalem cult. In fact, the Qumranites defined themselves in contrast to the reigning priests and leaders in Jerusalem. Thus, as Schiffman demonstrates, Qumran and Jerusalem should be studied together. These essays are requisite reading for anyone interested in early Judaism and Christian origins.”

Rethinking Christmas

Arts & Literature

Foreword

(wrote the foreword)

Science, Religion, and Health

Science & Faith

“The human's search for meaning is the focus of theological and psychological research. Each discipline enriches the other. Few experts are better trained and experienced in helping theology and psychology become mutually beneficial than Professor Dr. Harold Ellens. Science and religion enhance our search for a healthy and meaningful life.”

The Bible at Qumran

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“For almost 2000 years Christians and Jews shared a common base for translating the Hebrew scriptures into modern languages. Now, with the discovery of copies of Old Testament books that predate Jesus, the situation has changed: with some books, especially the books of Samuel and Jeremiah, Hebrew texts are available for the first time in markedly different versions. What does one do now about translating 'scripture' for synagogue or church? Equally important is the issue of interpretation, and it is imperative to observe, sometimes for the first time, how early Jews interpreted the books that Christians cherish as scripture. In this new volume, now available thanks to one of our best publishers of books about the Bible, some leading experts share their insights into these difficult issues.”

The Christology of the Fourth Gospel

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“New Testament scholars will welcome the third printing of Paul Anderson's The Christology of the Fourth Gospel, made even more valuable with its new informative introduction and outlines. The enthusiastic responses of first-rate scholars confirm the importance of this seminal work and its profound interdisciplinary richness (esp. modern cognitive theories); Anderson's new outlines establish a clear and programmatic set of paradigms for addressing not only theological concerns, but also the larger issues of Jesus's message, vision, and transforming power preserved within the Gospels. I am pleased to celebrate the third printing of a major contribution to New Testament studies.”

The Composition and Order of the Fourth Gospel

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“D. Moody Smith's monograph on Bultmann's literary theory is a landmark publication. It won him international recognition as one of the leading Johannine experts in the world. . . . Culpepper's masterful introduction highlights the reasons why we need Smith's research to again help us focus our search for the genius of the Fourth Evangelist.”

The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“With typical succinctness and insight, Jim VanderKam presents a reliable introduction to the importance of the Dead Sea Scrolls for a better understanding of the Bible.”

The Historical Jesus of the Gospels

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Keener proves why the Evangelists' view of Jesus is preferable to most modern constructs: the Gospels, as ancient biographies, reflect eyewitness accounts of Jesus and provide the only valid sources for reconstructing the historical Jesus. . . . This book is exceptional for its breadth and its captivating prose.”

The Prophet Jesus and the Renewal of Israel

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“A brilliant book that challenges much that is assumed by modern scholars. Horsley brings into focus a better method for ascertaining Jesus' message, urging us to ponder that Jesus was a prophet who sought to launch a renewal of Israel. This refreshing and challenging book would be ideal in classrooms.”

The Resurrection of Jesus

Apologetics

“Michael Licona's thorough study of beliefs in Jesus' resurrection is to be recommended, since it is informed of the social sciences, ancient data, . . . attends to the New Testament witnesses and engages most of the recent discussions. He rightly argues that the early Christians did not interpret Jesus' resurrection in a metaphorical or poetic sense to the exclusion of a literal event that had occurred to his corpse.”